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The differences between solution sales representatives and sales development representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a solution sales representative and a sales development representative. Additionally, a solution sales representative has an average salary of $78,463, which is higher than the $51,504 average annual salary of a sales development representative.
The top three skills for a solution sales representative include marketing campaigns, customer satisfaction and sales process. The most important skills for a sales development representative are SDR, lead generation, and customer service.
| Solution Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Yearly salary | $78,463 | $51,504 |
| Hourly rate | $37.72 | $24.76 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 198,547 | 199,588 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A solution sales representative is responsible for selling and promoting the company's goods and services to clients and customers, recommending appropriate merchandise solutions depending on the customers' needs and budget limitations. Solution sales representatives identify leads through directories research and customer referrals, developing effective sales pitch to attract potential clients by discussing everything about the services. A solution sales representative must have excellent communication skills, especially in responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, processing orders, and resolving complaints.
A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.
Solution sales representatives and sales development representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Solution Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Average salary | $78,463 | $51,504 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $120,000 | Between $34,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Capgemini | PitchBook Data |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a solution sales representative and a sales development representative in terms of educational background:
| Solution Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between solution sales representatives' and sales development representatives' demographics:
| Solution Sales Representative | Sales Development Representative | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |